Resonant coupling in the formation of ultracold ground state molecules via photoassociation

We demonstrate the existence of a new mechanism for the formation of ultracold molecules via photoassociation of cold cesium atoms. The experimental results, interpreted with numerical calculations, suggest that a resonant coupling between vibrational levels of the 0+u (6s+6p1/2) and (6s+6p3/2) stat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2001-03, Vol.86 (11), p.2253-2256
Main Authors: Dion, C M, Drag, C, Dulieu, O, Laburthe Tolra, B, Masnou-Seeuws, F, Pillet, P
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We demonstrate the existence of a new mechanism for the formation of ultracold molecules via photoassociation of cold cesium atoms. The experimental results, interpreted with numerical calculations, suggest that a resonant coupling between vibrational levels of the 0+u (6s+6p1/2) and (6s+6p3/2) states enables formation of ultracold molecules in vibrational levels of the ground state well below the 6s+6s dissociation limit. Such a scheme should be observable with many other electronic states and atomic species.
ISSN:0031-9007
1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/physrevlett.86.2253